ISOTA
by Bablet
Summary: A fresh start/new beginning. See inside for details. What is it, to be a stranger to oneself? Billy Blaze, known throughout the galaxy as the heroic Commander Keen, finds himself internally alienated from his family and friends... And he's not alone.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello!**

**There's just something I'd like to get straight before we go into ISOTA.**

**CIITBOTE AND LOWTSAR ARE DEAD AND GONE. Or at least, that's what I'd like to pretend. It's been years since I wrote them, and I really feel that I've improved. Finally, I can tell the story I want to tell, and tell it properly (much of LOWT was me trying to recreate the foundation set by CIIT so I could tell this story instead, but it just kinda flopped). **

**Uh, well, that's about it. Rayton's in this, but he's got more character and a better personality, so let's pretend that CIIT and LOWT are an alternate universe that Mortimer blew up for 'teh lulz'.**

* * *

**In Search Of The Answer: O1**

"No," he breathed. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be real. The sample must have been contaminated, or the machine was wrong- _Maybe there'd been interference_- or maybe he'd just been tired. Yes. That had to be it. He was just too tired to read the results correctly. He'd look again tomorrow and everything would be right again. Everything would be _just fine._

A soft thud came from over by the door as General Paffo dropped down from the 'security hall'.

"Sir?" he called in his warm grumble of a voice, "you're off schedule. Is something wrong?"

Mortimer McMire, the Grand Intellect, tore his gaze away from the screen to face the Nayli.

"Everything will be fine," the boy said calmly. "Everything will be just fine."

Paffo nodded, though he doubted the words.

"Yes, sir," he concurred, taking a step back as Mortimer got up to leave. "I'll get the power switch for you."

"Thank you," Mortimer said as he walked slowly down the hall, hands deep in the pockets of his coat.

Paffo watched him leave, his little brown nose twitching in concern. Then he turned off the lab equipment, shut the door, and resumed his patrol shift.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Mortimer lay in bed, eyes firmly shut. He knew he had to get up. There was no avoiding it. Though it was childish, he still tried. He stared at the painting on his wall for a whole minute before he went to the bathroom. Then, he left the bathroom to grab the clothes he'd purposefully forgotten to take. He compared shirts. Changed his mind about his jeans, only to change it back again. Finally he went for his shower.

After basking as long as he could in the warm torrent of water, he patted the steam off the mirror to stare at his reflection. His heart began to race as all the little things about him that were never that interesting suddenly became terrifyingly important.

Though he knew it to be in vain, he checked again.

Mortimer had no freckles. No moles. No birthmark. His skin was the same, uninterrupted pale tone from his feet to his ears. He'd never even had a blemish.

Tentatively, he raised a hand to his heart. It was on his right side, not left- But that happened sometimes and he'd thought little of it before.

The last and most startling oddity, were his eyes. His mother's were a deep hazel, his father's and Molly's a rich brown. Even Matthew's were a muddy green.

Mortimer's were a dark crimson. There was no fooling himself now. Crimson, no matter how dark, was not a shade of brown. Nor was it a naturally occurring colour in humans.

He looked away. Last night's results only made _more_ sense now. Shaking his head, he got dressed. He wasn't looking at the readout, so there was still that lie, that hope, that it had been no more than a dream.

Hope is the worst of emotions. It brings one up only to let them down.

Mortimer stared once again at the results and tried not to feel like a lie.


	2. Chapter 2

**In Search Of The Answer: O2**

Billy grinned and nodded excitedly. "That's great!"

Warren Daniels, a new kid at school who'd quickly formed a close friendship with Billy, stopped walking to brush his gold blond hair out of his eyes and adjust his glasses.

"You think?" he asked, trying to contain his enthusiasm.

Billy laughed and nodded again. "Quite often!"

The two boys were discussing their project for the school's science fair on the way to the park, enjoying the freedom of the Saturday afternoon.

They'd just reached the opening in the fence when Billy got a message on his Computer Wrist, which he'd stuffed deep into his backpack.

"Hang on, I think that's my phone," he lied as he shrugged off the bag.

Warren nodded. "I'll go set us up in the regular spot," he said.

Alone, Billy took out the device and opened his inbox and frowned in mild confusion.

** To: Billy B.**

** From: Mortimer M.**

** Subject: Recent Discovery**

** Message:**

** Urgent. Tracking you. Have to talk.**

Cautious, but intruiged, he replied.

** To: Mortimer M.**

** From: Billy B. **

** Subject: RE: Recent Discovery**

** Message:**

** how urgent & why now? i'm busy.**

Billy rolled up the sleeve of his hoodie and strapped on his Computer Wrist, then covered it back up with the grey fabric.

Warren was all set up by the time he got there, and had already claimed the rosewood pieces for himself. Billy sat down across from his friend, taking the cedar side. He reached out and picked up a pawn, turning it over in his hand and admiring the delicate craftsmanship of the woodwork.

"Wow..." he breathed, clearly impressed. "Your aunt's amazing!"

Warren nodded, beaming with pride. "I know, right? She always makes the best Christmas gifts. Of course, it takes her all year to make a gift for each of us, but it's well worth it."

Billy nodded and put the piece back down on the board. It was time to get serious.

Just as he was about to make his first move, however, a hand grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.

"Get lost, McMire!" Warren said angrily. He hated how the raven haired boy pushed people around, like he was so much better than them.

Mortimer gave Warren a glare, then returned his attention to Billy.

"_Now,_ Four," he ordered coldly.

Billy shook his head. "I'm busy," he replied in the same blunt tone. Mortimer's frown deepened.

"It's urgent. Stop wasting time." His hold grew tighter.

"He's not wasting time, he's doing what he wants!" Warren cut in, standing up for his friend. "Don't throw a fit because he has free will. Or do you not know what that is?"

"_Shut up, Daniels! _Four has to _go_." Mortimer hauled Billy off the bench with this.

"His name is _Billy_, and that's his choice!" Warren refused to back down. Billy simply groaned with annoyance and put his hands up.

"Calm down, Warren. I'll only be a minute," he assured.

Mortimer clearly wasn't thrilled with this compromise, but dragged the brunet off with him anyway.

Once they were out of earshot, he shoved Billy against a tree and pulled out his tablet.

Wincing, Billy tried to give his nemesis a look of reason. "Okay," he began, "what's so important?"

Mortimer stopped whatever he'd been doing and looked up at Billy.

Billy, with his ruffled brown hair, freckles, and blue eyes. So normal, yet... Mortimer had tested them both. He knew the truth.

"Well?" Billy prompted, growing impatient. All this fuss would _not_ be for a staring contest.

Mortimer nodded and reluctantly passed him the tablet.

_ Analysis results? This had better be good or I'll-_ Billy's thoughts were interrupted, however, by what he read. Mortimer, seeing the boy's jaw drop, took a step forward.

"Tell me what you're seeing," he demanded, but it was quieter than usual.

Billy held up a finger- _Wait a sec_- and read the results again. Three samples had been tested. Two unclassified but almost identical, and one human.

"Well, whatever the samples are, I... I think they're part human. No idea what the rest of it is, but there's definitely some human in there. Why? Did- Oh jeez, _did you find the origin of man?" _Billy asked with increasing excitement.

Mortimer's shoulders slumped and he took the tablet back, shaking his head and staring at the ground with a strange, empty smile.

"It's us, Four. That's us."

* * *

**So that's where I'm leaving you for now. On a cliffhanger. Because I'm terrible and improvement doesn't mean "She stopped using her cheap and evil cliffhanger trick", does it! MUAHAH- **

**I'll probably update soon though (which means that now that I've said it, I'm never updating. XD) because chapter 3 and most to all of 4 are already done, but I'd like to edit them some more to work out some continuity problems.**

**{'3}{ Signing off!**


End file.
